Spring
by Tender Falling Rain
Summary: This is a short and sweet little story about the Inu Yasha group on a typical spring day... Please R/R!


Kagome sighed in delight and collapsed on her back in a field of wildflowers. She stretched her arms out behind her head and closed her eyes lazily, enjoying the feeling of the sunshine on her face and the sounds of the birds chirping peacefully all around her. A slight breeze blew by, tousling her hair and filling her nose with the scent of cherry blossoms, and daises and… The sound of a shy giggle was heard off in the distance. Curious, Kagome rolled over on her stomach propping herself up on one elbow to peer over the tall grasses. A little ways away she saw a blushing Sango, timidly reaching out to accept the bouquet of flowers Miroku had picked for her on a spontaneous whim. As she grasped the flowers gently her hands briefly paused, lingering on Miroku's for only a moment. With a smile and a slight flush on both of their faces they turned to walk together, chatting in a nervous manner.

"Ah," Kagome breathed. "Spring is in the air…" she whispered, giggling to herself slightly. Casually she nipped a few colorful flowers from around her, releasing them from their hold to the ground. Once she had gathered a rather large collection of flowers, she expertly began to weave them together forming a loose wreath. When she finished she rolled back onto her back and held the flowers above her to examine her work. She smiled, drawing pleasure from the simple project and then let her hands drop back to her sides, staring up at the puffy clouds in the sky.

Her eyelids began to droop and she yawned in contentment, enjoying her moment of peace. She closed her eyes and smiled. The field had just been so beautiful, Kagome couldn't help but ask if they could stop for a little while. Sango, Miroku and Shippo had been more than happy to go along with the idea, also longing to revel in the serenity of the moment. What had really been a surprise to Kagome though was Inuyasha's reaction. She had expected him to argue with her, complaining that they didn't have the time to 'mess around.' However, instead he had merely nodded his consent and wandered off to a nearby hill staring off into the distance without as much as a grunt of disapproval. Maybe the beautiful surroundings had affected even Inuyasha, Kagome thought to herself.

Shippou had promptly run off to chase butterflies with a small net Kagome had brought him from her own time. Sango and Miroku had mutually decided to go for a short walk through the fields, Kirara bounding along behind the two, leaving Kagome by herself.

At first she had looked at her yellow bag and considered doing some studying but immediately abandoned the idea. It was just too wonderful of a moment to spoil with the nightmare that was geometry. She had looked over to where Inuyasha was sitting alone and briefly considered going over to sit with him but decided against it. He had been quiet and reflective lately, and Kagome could sense him going over something in his mind. After a moment of contemplation she reluctantly decided to let him be alone.

That allowed her to enjoy the moment of solitude and revel in her own thoughts. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a light sleep. The scene she had just witnessed with Miroku and Sango in the field played before her mind, only instead it was her and Inuyasha standing there. Inuyasha turned an adorable shade of crimson as he thrust a small bouquet at her, trying his best to appear nonchalant about it. Kagome smiled brightly at him and accepted the flowers. "Thank you, Inuyasha. They're beautiful," she whispered in delight. His expression softened ever so slightly and he began to smile before turning his back with a casual, "Feh." Kagome laughed faintly at his embarrassment and skipped to catch up with him, linking her arm through his. He tensed briefly and then relaxed, his face turning an even darker shade of red…

As Kagome's daydream played out in her mind a slight shadow fell over her blocking the sunlight and she stirred, delicately draping her arm over her eyes to shield them from the sun as she looked up to see Inuyasha standing over her.

"Hello," she smiled.

"Feh. Hi," he grumbled with a bored look on his face. He looked off towards Sango and Miroku. "What's with all you guys all of a sudden? Why are you all so giddy?"

Kagome smiled, matter-of-factly. "It's spring! Love is in the air…" she trailed off dreamily.

"Eh?" Inuyasha asked raising an eyebrow.

"Back in my time, people refer to spring as the season of love. Everything's just so new and beautiful in the springtime. The flowers bloom, the birds sing…"

"Feh. I'm glad I'm not some stupid human that gets all caught up in such silly notions."

"Oh come on, don't tell me you don't feel it. The sunshine on your face, the wind in your hair, the smell of the flowers and the earth… There's something magical, something so perfect and beautiful about spring…" she murmured in a singsong voice. "Don't you think?"

"Yes, I suppose it is beautiful," Inuyasha admitted in a low voice, but Kagome's heart leapt when she noticed he was looking at her instead of the world around him. She looked so beautiful, he thought, with the vibrant colors of the wildflowers pressed down, forming a type of crown around her raven hair spread out across the grass. The colors contrasted brilliantly with the tones of her skin and the faint blush on her cheeks. He breathed deeply taking in her normal delightful scent, now mixed with the smell of the flowers she had been lying in. It would be so easy, he thought, to choose Kagome, and to forget… to forget…

She looked up at him, pity in her eyes, as if she could sense the torment of his soul. Gods, how he hated it when she looked at him that way. And yet… It set him at peace. Somehow, she knew, and she understood. He didn't have to say a word. She knew how much he loved her. She knew how much he wanted to be with her. She knew how much he wished he could tell her just that. And still, she understood why he couldn't. And she accepted it, even though he knew the thought of him and Kikyou tore her to pieces, because Kagome loved him as well. He understood her just as she understood him. 

They simply stared into each others eyes for a few moments, simple bittersweet understanding passing between them as the wind howled softly in their ears. Then Kagome smiled, willing the somber feeling to disappear and began to sit up. He reached down his hand to help her and she smiled gratefully. His hand encircled her own in a tight grip as he pulled her to her feet. He had pulled her up so quickly that she lost her balance and stumbled against him. "Sorry," she murmured, slightly embarrassed. Her head slowly rose to meet his eyes and they lingered there again for only a moment. Then with a sad smile she pulled away from him and looked down at the small wreath still clasped in her hand.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Oh this?" she smiled with a mischievous grin. Quickly she lifted the wreath and placed the flowers playfully on his head. She giggled at the way one side was caught on his ear, pressing it down under its weight. 

He rolled his eyes up to inspect the ridiculous flowers tangled in his hair and flicked his ear in annoyance. "Oi," he said. "What do you think you're doing? I look ridiculous."

"No you don't," Kagome giggled while wishing she had a camera. "You look cute!" 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed as he reached up to remove the wreath from his head. However, instead of tossing it to the ground he carefully placed it on top of Kagome's head instead. "There. It looks better on you anyway," he said with a slight smile creeping onto his lips.

Kagome smiled back at him. "Come on," she said taking his hand in her own. "We'd better go find everyone else and get going." She pulled him along after her, and slowly he fell into step beside her, his fingers slowly closing around her own.

It wasn't about being too stubborn or too shy. It wasn't because of their tempers or their pride. It was something much more complicated than that. It was the inability to let go of something else. And they had no idea how to get past that. However, Inuyasha and Kagome, (along with almost every Inu Yasha fan in the world) hoped that someone, (namely Rumiko Takahashi) would think of a way out of the whole mess and find a way for the two of them to be happy together. And so they continued on and enjoyed each moment while waiting patiently in anticipation for whatever tomorrow would bring.

The End

*Sigh* Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Kagome and Inuyasha confession and kissing scenes, but unfortunately I just don't find it that realistic. I had intended to give this little fic a more satisfying ending, but no matter how hard I try I can't figure out how to get around the dreaded 'Kikyou' factor. Hopefully Rumiko Takahashi will come up with an ingenious solution to the whole Kagome / Inuyasha / Kikyou love triangle thing. After all, the manga and the anime still aren't finished, so I'm clinging desperately to the belief that one of those will end well, unlike Ranma ½ which in my opinion has an unsatisfying manga ending and an even more unsatisfying anime ending.

Oh, and "Oi" basically means "Hey," in case you didn't know that. I prefer not to use Japanese in my stories if at all possible, but "Hey" just doesn't seem to convey the same feeling as "Oi" for some reason.


End file.
